31 upcoming Bollywood movies in 2018 you don’t want to miss

Soorma, Dhadak and Gold are among the upcoming Bollywood movies of 2018 that will be hitting theatres near you almost every Friday until the end of 2018. You've obviously heard of them thanks to some of the most popular Bollywood celebrities starring in these projects, along with ongoing promotions. But there are a couple that you may not have come across so far -- The Accidental Prime Minister, for example -- even though they are just as promising. So to ensure that the cinephile (read: Bollywood junkie) in you doesn't miss out the best that Hindi cinema has to offer for the next six months, we've put together a comprehensive guide to the upcoming Bollywood movies of 2018. So block your Friday nights, keep your tickets read and watch on.

1. Soorma

Cast: July 13, 2018

Release date: Diljit Dosanjh, Tapsee Pannu, Angad Bedi

Based on the life of Sandeep Singh, the film stars Diljit Dosanjh as the ace hockey player who leads India to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics under his captaincy. In spite of being paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair for two years after he was injured in an accidental firing incident, Singh didn't just get back on his feet and on to the hockey field -- which, as the film's tagline goes, could well be 'the greatest comeback story'.

2. Dhadak

Release date: July 20, 2018

Cast: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana

A remake of Nagraj Manjule's hit Marathi film Sairat, Dhadak adapts the storyline and takes it from rural Maharashtra to Udaipur, where star-crossed lovers -- played by Jahnvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter -- must fight to their parents, outdated class norms and fate itself, to stay together.

3. Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3

The third installment of Tigmanshu Dhulia's hit Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster series. this one has something special. While it takes forward the narrative of the (titular) monarchs, it brings a new gangster: Sanjay Dutt. After the release of Sanju, we bet you're dying to watch this one.

4. Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi

Release date: August 2018

Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Sonu Sood, Danny Denzongpa

Possibly Kangana Ranaut's most publicised project yet and one of the most awaited upcoming Bollywood movies of 2018, Manikarnika is a biographical drama based on Rani Laxmbai's life. Though the film was initially scheduled to release in April this year, it has now been pushed to August.

5. Karwaan

Release date: August 3, 2018

Cast: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar

The lives of three strangers intertwine when there's a mix up in the delivery of two dead bodies. Not nearly as morbid as it sounds, Karwaan is a light-hearted comedy that acts as a Bollywood launch vehicle for both Dulquer Salmaan and Mithila Palkar.

6. Mulk

Release date: August 3, 2018

Cast: Tapsee Pannu, Rishi Kapoor, Abdul Quadir Amin

Though the team working on the film has kept the plot tightly under wraps so far, the film is an intense courtroom drama where Rishi Kapoor plays an elderly man accused of treason against his nation and Tapsee Pannu, his lawyer, must prove his innocence as people remain convinced about his guilt.

7. Fanney Khan

Release date: August 3, 2018

Cast: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao

Fanney Khan, Aishwarya Rai's first film after Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, is a remake of the Academy Award-nominated Belgian film Everybody's Famous! While the original film tells the story of a girl who is pressured into becoming a music sensation, the Hindi-language musical comedy's trailers seem to focus more on Anil Kapoor. This will be Anil Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's third film together after Humara Dil Aapke Paas Hai (2000) and Taal (1999).

8. Vishwaroop II

Relase date: August 10, 2018

Cast: Kamal Haasan, Rahul Bose, Shekhar Kapur

Kamal Haasan is set to reprise his role as Vishwanathan/RAW Agent Major Wisam Ahmad Kashmiri/Viz as he attempts to (one guesses) save India -- and the world -- a second time around. Now that Haasan has finally made his political ambitions official, this should be an interesting one.

9. Gold

Release date: August 15, 2018

Akshay Kumar's second film after Pad Man this year, Gold is a fictional tale set against the backdrop of very real, internationally significant events that occurred between 1936 and 1948. The film tells the story of a passionate Indian sports manager who assembles a team of hockey players to beat the British at the game and win their first medal under the flag of Independent India.

10. Happy Phirr Bhaag Jayegi

A sequel to the 2016 Diana Penty-Abhay Deol starrer, Happy Phirr Bhaag Jaayegi adds Sonakshi Sinha to the cast as the characters return for a second go -- this time, though, with not one but two runaway brides.

11. Batti Gul Meter Chalu

Batti Gul Meter Chalu is the story of an average Joe (or, in this case, an average Jignesh?) who takes on The Man -- the elecrity company -- to fight exhorbitant and unfair power bills. One of the most highly anticipated Bollywood movies of 2018, BGMC will be Shahid Kapoor's second film after Padmaavat this year.

12. Andhadhun

Release date: August 31, 2018

Cast: Radhika Apte, Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu

Ayushmann Khurrana plays a blind pianist in the Sriram Raghavan thriller, which also stars Radhika Apte and Tabu. Though the film was originally titled Shoot The Piano Player, it is unclear whether it's based on the 1960 movie of the same name.

13. Stree

Release date: August 31, 2018

Cast: Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi

As the film's tagline -- 'Based on a ridiculously true phenomenon' -- suggests, Stree apats a powerful urban legend to the silver screen. The tales goes: Before Bangalore became the busy, buzzing IT hub that you know it as today, it was a town living under the shadow of a supernatural terror. It is said that a witch roamed the streets of the city at night, knocking on doors and calling residents out of their homes by mimicking the voices of their loved ones. Anyone who fell into her trap and opened the door would die in 24 hours. Stree will be Shraddha Kapoor's second film releasing in 2018.

14. Drive

Release date: September 7, 2018

Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Jacqueline Fernandez, Vikramjeet Virk

This Hindi remake of the 2011 Ryan Gosling cult classic, Drive follows a the story of a stunt driver who gets caught up in some dangerous business when he falls for his neighourbour, whose husband owes money to members of the underworld.

15. Paltan

Release date: September 7, 2018

Cast: Suniel Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Arjun Rampal, Abdul Quadir Amin

JP Dutta is back in the director's chair over a decade after Umrao Jaan (2006). Additionally, it will also be his first war film -- a genre he pretty much owned in the late Ninties/early Noughties -- since LOC Kargil (2003). Dutta's latest stars Jackie Shroff, Suniel Shetty and Arjun Rampal and is based on the 1967 Nathu La military conflict.

16. Manmarziyaan

Release date: September 7, 2018

Cast: Tapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal, Abhishek Bachchan

With this film, Anurag Kashyap shifts from his signature flavour of dark, gritty cinema to a rom com. Set in Punjab, Manmarziyaan is reportedly a simple love story where Pannu plays a sports shop owner and hockey enthusiast.

17. 5 Weddings

Release date: September 21, 2018

Cast: Nargis Fakhri, Rajkummar Rao, Bo Derek

Nargis Fakhri and Rakjummar Rao star in this Indo-American production that follows the journey of a magazine writer from the US A who travels to India to cover weddings... and ends up finding more than she bargained for. The film also features the Golden Globe-nominated actress Bo Derek.

18. Sui Dhaaga

Release date: September 28, 2018

Cast: Anushka Sharma, Varun Dhawan, Govind Pandey

This upcoming Bollywood movie of 2018 has all the ingredients it needs become a true winner at the box office. Directed by Maneesh Sharma and set in Delhi, it stars Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma as a tailor and an embroiderer respectively.

19. Pataakha

Release date: September 28, 2018

Cast: Sanya Malhotra, Radhika Madan and Sunil Grover

Sanya Malhotra, of Dangal fame, is back for a second sister act with Pataakha. Directed by Vishal Bharadwaj and based on Charan Singh Pathik's short story, the film is set in Rajasthan and follows the tale of two siblings who can't stand each other (as the poster clearly shows).

20. Loveratri

Release date: October 5, 2018

Cast: Aayush Sharma, Warina Hussain, Hiten Patel

There was much buzz around the film's female lead, Warina Hussain, when the poster for Love Ratri dropped on Valentine's Day this year. Produced by Salman Khan, not only will the film act as a launch vehicle for Hussain but it will also mark Aayush Sharma's Bollywood debut.

21. Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga

Release date: October 2018

Cast: Sonam Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Rajkummar Rao

Ek Ladki Toh Dekha Toh Aisa Laga explores the themes of interfaith love and infidelity. The film is helmed by debutant director Shelly Chopra Dhar, and acts as the launch vehicle for Southern actress Regina Cassandra.

22. Namaste England

Release date: October 19, 2018

Cast: Parineeti Chopra, Arjun Kapoor, Manoj Anand

This Arjun Kapoor-Parineeti Chopra starrer comes from director Vipul Shah, who made the 2007 hit Namaste London. Reportedly shot at 75 different locations, even though Namaste England is a sequel of Shah's previous film that starred Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif, the director has been quoted by Hindustan Times as saying that it has a similar feel.

23. Badhaai Ho

Release date: October 19, 2018

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Sanya Malhotra

This upcoming Bollywood film is a coming-of-age tale with a hint of romance. Badhaai Ho is both Ayushmann Khurrana and Sanya Malhotra's second release this year.

24. Thugs of Hindostan

Based on Philip Meadows Taylor's novel Confessions of a Thug (1839), Aamir Khan's much-awaited Thugs of Hindostan tells the tale of a gang of thugs who went up against the British in the late 1700s/early 1800s. The highly publicised project is hands-down on of the most anticipated upcoming Bollywood movies of 2018. ALSO READ Thugs of Hindostan real story: Who were the true thugs in Indian history?

25. Student of the Year 2

Release date: November 23, 2018

Cast: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Ulka Gupta

Student of the Year 2 is the launch platform for two of the most-awaited Bollywood debuts this year -- Ananya Pandey and Tara Sutaria. A sequel the Alia Bhatt-Varun Dhawan-Sidharth Malhotra starrer, SOTY2 will bring a to the screen a storyline similar to its prequel.

26. 2.0

Release date: November 29, 2018

Starring: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson

The last leg of the year is crammed with some of the biggest productions of 2018. One of these is 2.0, and boy does it stack up on star power! Starring Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar and Amy Jackson, and directed by S. Shankar, the project was produced on the mammoth budget of INR500 crore. Though the film has been the works for a while, it found a release date only 24 hours ago. Though it was shot simultaneously in Tamil and Hindi, it will be released in 13 additionally languages.

27. Kedarnath

28. Total Dhamaal

Release date: December 7, 2018

Cast: Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Madhuri Dixit

2018 seems to be the year of sequels. Total Dhamaal, the third installation after Dhamaal (2007) and Double Dhamaal (2011), will see Javed Jeffrey, Riteish Deshmukh and Arshad Warsi reprise their roles while Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit and Ajay Devgn will be new additions to the cast.

29. Zero

Release date: December 21, 2018

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma

Shah Rukh Khan's ambitious project has been in the news since the first teaser was released on New Year's Eve, and has only grabbed more eyeballs since a teaser featuring Salman Khan was dropped. According to reports, Zero tells the story of a little person (played by Shah Rukh Khan) who falls in love with a celebrity (Katrina Kaif).

30. The Accidental Prime Minister

Release date: December 21, 2018

Cast: Anupam Kher, Akshaye Khanna, Manoj Anand

Based on a book by Sanjaya Baru, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's media advisor, The Accidental Prime Minister is a biographical political drama around India's former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Anupam Kher, who stars as Dr Singh, looks eerily similar to the former PM and, from what we can tell by the set photos, it looks like it is going to be one high octane affair.